Baylor's Perry Jones could have been a top-five pick in the 2011 NBA draft.

Instead, the ridiculously talented 6-11 forward chose to return for his sophomore season, and the decision didn’t have much to do with NBA labor strife. Nope, after the Bears failed to reach the NCAA Tournament, Jones felt he had unfinished business on the college level.

“We all have the same goal this year,” Jones said. “That’s to, first of all, make the tournament and get past the Elite Eight, to make the Final Four. That’s everybody’s goal in the locker room, and you can see out there in practice that everybody’s playing their hardest trying to get ready for this season and to make the NCAA Tournament and just have redemption from last year.”

The pieces are most definitely there for Baylor.

With shot-happy LaceDarius Dunn moving on to pro ball, the Baylor offense now focuses more on Jones and his ever-improving game. And his fellow front-court mate, Quincy Acy, had a breakthrough season in 2010-11 and is a senior leader. Big man Anthony Jones and point guard A.J. Walton are back after both averaged at least 29 minutes a game last year.

But so much of Baylor’s success this season—or, potentially, lack thereof—will have to do with the newbies. So Sporting News asked Perry Jones, who is serving a suspension (for receiving impermissible benefits in the summer of '10) and won't be back in action until Nov. 29, to give a little insight about what’s he’s expecting from these talented newcomers:

Pierre Jackson, PG

Too often last season, the Bears failed to show much continuity on offense. A big reason for that was Dunn’s propensity to take ill-advised and frequent shots, but the Bears didn’t have a take-charge point guard to make sure the basketball was distributed evenly.

Jackson, a junior college transfer who led the College of Southern Idaho to the NJCAA Division I national title last season, is to make sure the team's most talented players get their touches. Through three games, there are mixed results as he adjusts to the higher level of competition.

Jones says: “I think he is the most athletic guard I have ever seen. He’s probably the best passer on the team. He knows how to find you with his eyes closed. That’s what I feel about him. He can score if he needs to, but he’s definitely not the selfish type to just score whenever he wants to. He’s told me he wants 10 and 10 each game. That’s the type of unselfish player he is.”

Quincy Miller, SF

Aside from Jones, Miller might be the best recruit Baylor ever has signed. The smooth 6-9 forward was a Jordan Brand Classic All-American and a consensus top-10 recruit, despite the fact an ACL injury ended his senior season. With Jones on the sidelines to start the season, Miller is averaging 18 points and has led the team in scoring all three games.

Jones says: “He’s a pure scorer, and he can also defend. He’s coming back from and injury and everything, but I feel he’ll be better than ever. He’s playing a lot harder, picked up his level of play and has gotten better each and every day. He wants to be one of the best players in college basketball.”

Deuce Bello, SG

This 6-4 guard is yet another talented, exciting player on the Baylor roster. A high school teammate of Miller, Bello earned a reputation on the AAU circuit as one of the country’s best dunkers, but his value to the Bears will come in his ability to provide scoring and consistency on the perimeter.

Jones says: “He definitely comes to play, every time we have an open gym or a workout, he comes and competes. He’s definitely getting better every day with his outside game. He’s not just putting his head down and going to the rim like most freshmen would do; he’s actually picking his head up, finding the open man, shooting the open shots and doing just enough to be better.”

Brady Heslip, SG

The sophomore transfer from Boston College should shore up a problem area for last season's underachieving squad. The Bears shot just 34.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc—tied for 166th in the country—and that’s where Heslip figures to make his mark. In his first three games with Baylor, Heslip is 8-for-20 from 3-point range.

Jones says: “I feel like he’s going to be the best shooter in the country, personally. He works out every day, maybe three or four times a day, shooting his hands off. He just has the mind to be the best player he can be; he’s always in the gym, no matter what. Even after a hard workout, he stays after to shoot, trying to get better. I know he hasn’t played in two years, and he’s anxious to actually play in his first game. I know he’s going to be ready and I know he’s going to do what he needs to do—and that’s put the ball on the floor, shoot and make the open shot no matter where on the floor he is. He’s just a great talent to have.”